The Magnificent Six

This week it was Team B v Team C and with only three on each side, the magnificent six took to the ice.

Team C lost the toss and got the match underway. The ice was sticky in patches with stones seeming to slow down then regain speed, making it difficult for everyone to judge their weight. It looked like Jim's team had adapted best and found themselves lying four with Mara's last stone to come. It made its way into the house but not enough to make a difference and a surprising four went on the board for the Red stones.

You can't win a game in the first end and Mara knew there was plenty of time to rectify the score line. So the B Team were pleasantly surprised to be lying five when Jim took to the hack for his final stone. There was a tiny gap through which stone could slide and reduce the score. That was Plan A.

We all know that Plan A doesn't always come off and neither did Jim's but with a tap and roll off an outlying yellow, a swift curl towards a scoring stone in the eight foot, shifting it sufficiently to keep Jim's stone moving, by some inexplicable trigonometry the last stone ended touching the button for a single.

There is a saying in golf "not how but how many". The C Team had no idea how (Katie's excellent sweeping perhaps?) and it's fair to say everyone looked surprised to say the least but a One went on the scorecard.

Still early days. 

Mara built a strong and secure head in the third, there was little Jim could do to penetrate it. Two choices, go for a difficult scoring shot and risk losing more than a single, or accept the situation. Accepting the latter seemed like the sensible choice. Third end, 5-1, that's ok.

Similarly in the fourth, both teams had stones in the house and scoring but it was Mara with the upper hand. Once again Jim had to go for last stone glory, this time for a potential two. His stone fell short and another single went to the Yellow team, now it's 2-5 at the halfway mark.

With the ice still catching out players, never quite sure how much draw there would be when straying from the centre line, the fifth end was following the pattern of three and four. Now it was Mara with an opportunity to steal the end. Almost but not quite. Another single. Team C restore their four point lead.

In fact ends six and seven followed the same pattern, well guarded, well positioned heads, requiring accurate stones and the ice still not always being kind. Mara took them both with singles. Suddenly going into the last end The C Team were only ahead by two but had only taken one end in five. 

Straight out the hack David and Jim P were on the money for the B Team. Stones were nicely positioned in the head and proving difficult to move. Some close but no cigar red stones did not change the situation. Mara played two fabulous stones, guarding her scoring stones and narrowing the gap to reach them. Now Team B were lying two. With last stone Jim was left with no choice. He had to move some yellow stones and at the very least reduce the damage to a single.

Played with good weight and good line, all was shaping up nicely for the tap, tap he needed. As the stone entered the house it curled too much to the left, caught a yellow stone at the wrong angle, spun across the house, removing another yellow but also a vital red! Two stones were scoring and they were yellow!

Mara's patience, tenacity and experience had won through. You can't win a game in the first end but you can't lose it either. In a game of eight ends anything can happen. So with the match peeled at 6-6 the six players shook hands on what had been an enthralling game.